


Don't Ever Let It End

by imherecauseimnotallthere98



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Aww, Basketball, Concerts, Dean Teaches Castiel to be Human, Drunken Confessions, Fallen Castiel, Human Castiel, Love Confessions, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Song Parody, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 16:44:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2475266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imherecauseimnotallthere98/pseuds/imherecauseimnotallthere98
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean takes Cas to a basketball game and a concert to try to introduce him to some of the joys of being human. He contemplates telling Cas that he loves him, but he's terrified of ruining their friendship. Song fic inspired by "Don't Ever Let It End" by Nickelback</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Ever Let It End

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd. Title is from a Nickelback song of the same name. This fic was written as a birthday gift to a friend of mine last year.

Dean pushed the Men of Letters door open farther with his foot, using his free hand to pick up the other bags off the ground. With his hands full, he kicked the door shut behind him and heard the lock automatically slide back into place.  
He made a mental note to make Sam go for groceries the next time they were getting low. He hated supermarkets, he always got stuck in line with someone with a crying baby, and the clerk was always the new kid who forgot how to work the register and had to ask for help. Definitely Sam's job now.

Doing his best not to trip, the hunter carried the bags down the stairs. He spotted his brother leaning over the maps table with Cas sitting beside him. The two were talking and making marks on the grid, Dean wasn't sure why though. As far as he knew, they weren't on a case.

"Hey." He greeted, making his way past them and into the kitchen.

"Hey." Sam called back, still staring at the table. Castiel on the other hand, stood up and followed the Winchester into the other room.

"Hello, Dean." He said as he stood in the doorway.

Dean shot a quick smiled at the fallen angel before turning back to organize the fridge.

"Hey, Cas. What's up?"

Being human for a year now, Castiel was becoming more familiar with everyday human speech. He was getting pretty good at following along without becoming confused, and where he would have normally been literal, he now knew what was really being said and asked.

"Not a lot." He replied, moving towards the counter and slowly pulling things out of the bags while Dean put them away.

"What are you and Sam doing with the map?"

Dean was still moving around the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards and the fridge as he put the food away. Shopping might be Sam's job now, but Dean would be damned if he let his kid brother organize /his/ kitchen. He waited and listened for Cas to answer.

"We were trying to see if the shape-shifter you and Sam killed was following any sort of pattern."

The hunter set the bread on the top shelf in the fridge and closed the door. He turned to really face Castiel for the first time since he got back to the bunker.

"Why? It's dead now. What's it matter what it did?"

Cas set the empty plastic bags in a drawer with the others and pushed it shut, standing back up.

"If all monsters of the same breed are generally the same and work the same, we thought perhaps all shape-shifters have a system of sorts. If they do and we can figure it out, they would be much easier to track and find."

Dean nodded. It made sense.

"Did you guys find anything?"

The ex-angel shook his head.

"No, not yet anyways. It seems random."

The hunter nodded again. He had noticed moving patterns with some other creatures, but never shifters.

He was about to leave to room when he remembered his little treat for him and Cas.

"Oh! Right," He fished around in his inside pocket, feeling for the paper. "You've been human for a year now, and you've been on earth a lot longer than that. It's time you became more cultured."

Dean produced two tickets from his pocket, beaming at Cas when he handed him one.

"Basketball tickets," The Winchester explain, his grin never faltering. "There's a game this Saturday in town. I thought you might wanna go."

Castiel was still studying the ticket in his hand. He finally met Dean's persistent gaze when he spoke again.

"What about Sam?"

Dean shook his head.

"I can't even get that kid to watch a game with me on TV, he wouldn't want to go."

Castiel nodded. He had never seen the brothers watch sports together.

"Okay."

Dean's smile broadened.

"Great. Saturday then."

 

That Saturday, Dean and Cas got into the Impala and drove off around six. Just as Dean had suspected, Sam was happy to stay at the bunker. He waved as the two were leaving, and then went back to working on his shifter theory.

 

The Impala purred as Dean pulled into the parking lot. Even though he hadn't said anything, Dean could tell Cas was at least curious, if not excited about the game. He had never really watched sports before, certainly never been to a game.  
The Winchester parked the Impala as close as he could get to the main doors, and lead Castiel inside.

He bought them both drinks. The concession didn't sell beer, which was lame in Dean's opinion, so he got them Cas' favourite pop instead. They then found their spot. Dean was proud of his last minutes tickets, they were actually good seats. Near half court and close enough to make the game enjoyable.  
The hunter spent the first half of the game explaining the rules to Cas, who nodded along as he started to figure things out. By halftime, Castiel had the gist of it and was starting to enjoy himself. Dean answered his questions and smiled warmly at him when the fallen angel started cheering and clapping with the crowd.  
By the time the final buzzer rang, the hunter realized that he hadn't been paying attention to who won, and he didn't really care. He'd had fun with Cas, and as far as he could tell, Cas had enjoyed himself too. He was smiling as him and the Winchester walked through the parking lot.

"Had fun, Cas?"

The man in question nodded vigorously.

"Yes. It was...exciting."

Dean's smile grew and he clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm glad."

Once they were in the Impala, Dean realized that he was kinda hungry, and figured Cas might be too.

"Supper?" He asked.

Castiel was about to decline when he heard his stomach rumble. Dean smirked.

"I'll take that as a yes. There's dinner a few blocks away. They've got good food."

 

Dean wasn't lying. The burgers at the dinner were fantastic. Cas tore into his the second the plate hit the table, saying a quick thank you to the waitress out of courtesy. Dean was calmer. He liked to savour his food when he could, and they definitely had time tonight. Mostly he just kept glancing at Cas and shooting him little smiles while they ate.

Something in the parking lot caught the hunter's eye, and he found himself chuckling.

"What is it?" Castiel asked, confused as to what was funny.

Dean glanced out the window again at the two cops leaning against their car, an open box of doughnuts sitting on the hood between them. Each officer held one of the glazed treats in their hands.

Dean pointed out the window to try to explain it to Castiel.

"Kind of ironic, isn't it?"

The ex-angel smiled and nodded when he finally understood the source of Dean's amusement.

 

On the way back to the car, Dean thought over the night. Him and Cas had had a fun, easy going time. It had all gone so well, and they were both in such a good mood, Dean wondered if he should tell Cas how he felt. It would be a good night to do it, everything had gone so smoothly. But on the other hand, what if Cas didn't feel the same? What if after Dean told him, he got all weirded out and left?

/"No, Cas made it clear he feels the same.”/ Dean's mind reminded him.

 

/ The bar was packed that night. And loud. People were dancing and singing and shouting over the noise, making it louder.  
The two hunters and the ex-angel were in a booth in a corner near the door, having a few drinks. Dean was on his fifth beer in two hours, but his booze tolerance was higher than that of most alcoholics, so he felt fine. Sam was about the same; still completely able to function. Cas, on the other hand, was smashed. He was pretty fresh into human life, and he could no longer drink whole liquor stores. After a few beers and a shot of tequila Dean had ordered him, he was hammered.  
The booth they were in was more of a half circle, with Dean on the right, Sam on the far left, and Cas in the middle. Which, in retrospect was probably a bad idea, putting the person most likely to vomit in the middle. It didn't really matter though, the ex-angel was holding his booze down, and was actually loosening up and having some fun. He laughed and joked with the brothers, taunting as good as he got.

After a few more minutes, Sam got up and said he had to go to the bathroom. He stumbled the first few steps before catching himself and walking to the door.

Dean smiled at the still laughing Castiel.

"I'm glad you're having fun, Cas."

The ex-angel turned towards Dean, his own smile growing.

"Dean," He slurred out.

"Yeah, Cas?"

Castiel faltered a bit, swaying in his seat and nearly falling onto the hunter before he caught himself.

"Dean," He said again, more forcefully.

The hunter rolled his eyes at his drunk friend, but still smirked. Who would have though Cas could be a fun drunk?

"What, Cas?"

Castiel seemed to be able to focus for a second, his eyes meeting Dean's in a moment of clarity before he swayed again and fell against the hunter.

"Oomph!...Cas! Come on man. Sit up."

Cas didn't.

"Dean...Dean, I love you." He mumbled into the Winchester's shoulder. Dean's eyes went wide and his eye brows shot up.

"Wh-wha...what?" He finally forced out, gulping and trying to look at the guy falling on him. 

The ex-angel only grabbed a fistful of the hunter's shirt and pulled himself up more. His lips brushed against Dean's ear, in a way that probably would have been intimate had the person doing it not been drunk and uncoordinated.

"Don't ever let it end." Cas whispered./

 

Well, he was drunk at the time, so that didn't really count, but still...What if Cas /did/ feel the same, but they couldn't make it last? Dean knew it would be hard on him if he lost Cas after everything. It was probably best just to leave whatever they had alone and stay friends.

 

The next Saturday was a fairly lazy day for the boys. The bunker was quiet and calm for a change. Sam was making lunch in the kitchen, Cas was in his room reading, and Dean was leafing through the local papers. He was still willing to drive across the country for a case, but it was nice to have one nearby. Even if it did make it a bit harder, 'cause there was always the risk of someone recognizing them.  
So far, it seemed pretty quiet. No weird deaths in the obituary, no missing persons, nothing. He was about to fold the paper back up when something caught his eye. There was gonna be a band playing at one of the bars in town. Dean didn't recognize their name, he guessed it was probably a garage band. They were pretty good sometimes, usually they just played songs by other bands. Quickly, an idea formed in his head.

Getting up, he made his way down the hall towards Cas' room. It was across the hall from his own, and he could see the ex-angel's door was open. Glancing in, he saw Castiel sitting on his bed, reading a book from their library. Ever since he'd lost his grace, he'd pretty much made it his job to read every book in the Men of Letters' library. He was frowning in concentration as he studied the pages of his most recent text. Since Cas had been an angel there wasn't a single language, monster, sigil or spell he didn't know, however, he enjoyed going through the books and making corrections for future use. He hadn't noticed Dean standing in the doorway yet, to busy writing something in the foot notes of his book about extinct creatures. Clearing his throat, the hunter knocked on the door jam.

"Cas? You busy?"

The brunet set his book aside and shook his head.

"Not really. You can come in if you want."

The Winchester took a few steps into the room, not sure where to sit or if he even should sit. The foot of the bed was really the only free space. The desk in Cas' room was messy and piled with books and papers that had also accumulated on pretty much every flat surface in the room. Deciding to just stay standing, he awkwardly hooked his thumbs into his pockets, not sure what to do with his hands. Realizing he was just standing in Castiel's room with Cas staring at him expectantly, he was glad the guy had no sense of awkwardness. Dean was tense and edgy as it was, and as a result it felt like every single thing in the room was staring at him.

"Uh...so," The hunter started. "There's a-there's a band playing in town tonight at the bar. I was thinking about going, and I was wondering if, uh, you wanted to come with? Unless you're busy."

Cas shook his head again.

"I have nothing to do. I would like to go with you, Dean."

The hunter smiled, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Great."

 

A few hours later they were walking through the doors of a packed, noisy bar. Dean pushed his way through the standing crowd, Cas right behind him. Eventually he found an empty booth, it seemed like most of the people wanted to stand. The band wasn't out yet, but the hunters were happy to sit and listen rather than stand and watch. A waitress came to their table after a few minutes to take any orders they might have. Dean and Cas both ordered beers, and once they arrived the two sat back and relaxed, waiting for the music to start. When the crowd started cheering, Dean guess that that band was coming out. He couldn't see them, but he heard the singer talking.

"Hey guys, thanks for having us." He said into the microphone. "We're called Dime a Dozen, and we'll be doing songs by other, more well known bands cause we have almost no creativity. So uh...yeah. Hope you guys have a good time."

Dean smiled when the music started. He had to give them credit for opening with Van Halen's "Panama". They were doing a good job of it too. The musicians didn't butcher it, and the singer could hit most of the notes, even doing the talking bit in the middle.

/“Yeah, we're running a little bit hot tonight. I can barely see the road from the heat coming off of it. I reach down...between my legs and...ease the seat back.”/

He found himself enjoying the live music, joining in during the chorus. Cas seemed to like it too.

/“Panama! Panama-ah! Panama! Panama-ah-oh-oh-oh-oh! Panama!”/

The crowd cheered and clapped when the song was over, and Dean had to throw in his own whistle of appreciation. He smiled at Castiel.

"So? Not bad, hey?"

Cas nodded.

"They are quite talented."

When the next song started up, Dean didn't recognize it. It wasn't a classic rock song like what they had opened with, but he had to give the band credit for their diversity.

/“I'm tired of pretending, but I'm terrified of it ending. I know if not for you, there's nothing I could do to ever let it end.”/

The singer's voice sounded sorrowful and yet hopeful, further conveying the message of his song. Dean decided it wasn't bad, as far as that slower stuff went at least. Anyway, they more than made up for it when they started playing "Travelling Riverside Blues". It was one of the hunter's favourites, and he had to sing along and play some air guitar on his leg, making Cas choke on his beer as he laughed.

The band stayed on for about two more hours before they did their final song, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life".

/“This ain't a song for the broken hearted! A silent prayer for the faith departed. And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd, you're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud!”/

The band really got into this one. All the members were signing, whether or not they had a microphone.

/“It's my life! It's now or never! I ain't gonna live forever! I just want to live while I'm alive. It's my life!”/

The singer shouted into his mic, bobbing his head as he did.

/“My heart it like an open highway! Like Frankie said, I did it my way! I just want to live while I'm alive. It's my life!”/

They had definitely saved their best for last. The crowd was cheering and singing along, really getting pumped up. Dime a Dozen had done well on their other songs, but they nailed this one. The lead singer sounded a lot like Bon Jovi, and it was clear they all loved this song.  
The lead guitarist did the solo before going nearly silent as the singer started up again.

/“You better stand tall when they're calling you out. Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down.”/

Dean stomped his foot with the base and joined in for the chorus. His voice wasn't heard over the noise.

 

After the song ended, the crowd went wild, cheering and clapping and whistling. The band smiled and bowed, thanking the crowd for coming to see them. Dean and Castiel both clapped loudly as the members left the makeshift stage.

"They were good, hey?" Dean asked, grinning happily.

Cas smiled as he nodded in agreement, drinking down the last few sips of his beer.

People were starting to leave the bar. It wasn't that late, but it had been a good show, and most of them had been standing though all of it.

Dean pulled out his wallet and dropped a ten on the table.

"Should we head back?" He shouted over the noise.

Castiel set his empty bottle down and nodded, following the hunter out the door and into the warm summer night air.

 

They both took in deep breaths of the fresh air. It was nice after hours in the somewhat dingy and very humid bar.

Dean was grinning at the ex-angel as they moved down the street and away from the crowd.

"So?" Dean asked, eyebrows raised as he waited for an answer from Castiel.

"I had fun." The ex-angel said, making his way beside the hunter as they walked back to the Impala.

"Good. I'm glad. Hey, it's quicker if we cut through the park. The Impala is around the block."

Castiel stopped and looked down the path leading through the heavily treed park. It was only about fifty yards to the other side and the car, but still, he couldn't seen anything through the trees, it was so dark in there.

Dean saw his hesitation.

"Come on, Cas. It's safe, I promise. If anything is in there, it's a guy with a joint and the munchies. No demons or monsters."

Cas hesitated a moment longer. He didn't mind being human for the most part, but he hated how weak he was now compared to before. He could still fight, but things could cause him pain now. He could die from human things. He couldn't protect Dean as well.  
Forcing himself to ignore that little fact, he finally nodded and followed Dean down the path.

They were about halfway through when a loud coughing nearby startled the ex-angel. He jumped closer to Dean, right into him actually, before forcing himself to calm down.

Dean thought it was kinda funny, but he didn't laugh.

"See? Guy with the munchies. Nothing to worry about."

Castiel was still trying to see through the trees, but it was too dark. He hated the dark. Cas nodded at Dean's words.  
The ex-angel went to take a few steps forward, when he became aware of the fact the he was holding on to something warm. Looking down his arm, he saw that in his fright, he had grabbed the hunter's hand.  
Dean was looking down at where they were joined too. He smiled and gave Cas' hand a little squeeze. Reluctantly, Castiel pulled his hand away.

"I'm sorry." He mumble, staring at the ground.

"Nah, Cas it's fine. You wanna hold my hand?"

There was sarcasm there, and a little taunting too. But there was something else. Under the protective barrier of humour, Cas could tell it was a genuine offer. Dean was playing it off as a joke so Cas could do either, and neither of them would feel foolish.  
As much as he wanted to grasp Dean's hand again, he didn't. Slowly, he turned to start walking out of the park, the hunter at his side. He thought he'd heard Dean sigh, but he wasn't sure.

 

The next night, Sunday, saw Dean and Castiel sitting side by side on the hood of the Impala in the middle of a field. They gazed up at the blanket of stars that covered the sky, gently lighting the empty, quiet pasture. You could only really see the stars like this in the middle of nowhere. The ex-angel pointed out constellations or stars he knew every now and then, explaining them to Dean. The hunter listened and nodded, even pointing out a few himself.

Eventually they fell silent, both just staring up at the beautiful night sky illuminated by a full moon. Dean smiled at the ex-angel on his right. Reaching over, the hunter wrapped his arm around him and squeezed in a one armed hug. He felt Cas lean into it, and he let his arm rest on the guy's shoulder after, both content to watch the stars with each other in comfortable silence.

/"You know what? Screw it. It might mess things up, but it could make them a shit tone better too."/ Dean thought, nodding to himself. Working up the nerve, he cleared his throat to talk, letting his arm drop away.

"Uh...Cas,"

He felt eyes on him, knew he was being watched even as he looked anywhere but at who he was talking to. He risked a quick glance to his side and saw the look he was getting. One that was so full of adoration and devotion he couldn't handle it and looked away again.

"Listen, uh... There's something I...that I..."

/“Shit.”/

Surprisingly, and to his relief, Cas interrupted him.

"Dean, look. That night at the bar, after I fell and became human...”

The hunter nodded, he knew which one Cas meant. The ex-angel continued.

"I know what I said. I remember saying it."

Dean gulped, not sure where this was going. He was actually quite proud that when he spoke next his voice wasn't as shaky as he felt.

"Don't worry about it, Cas. We all do and say crazy things drunk."

Castiel shook his head.

"No, I...I meant it, Dean."

Dean's head snapped up to look at Cas. Realizing he was just sitting there, probably with his mouth hanging open, he tried to say something. Nothing came out.

Castiel took it the wrong way.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled, looking down at the ground. "You don't feel the s-"

Before he could finish, Dean had a hand around the back of his neck and the base of his head, pulling him forward into an enthusiastic kiss. It took the ex-angel a moment to process what was happening, then he was eagerly responding and kissing back, his own hand carding through Dean's hair. After a few long moments, they both pulled away, breathless. Dean rested his forehead against Castiel's, breathing heavily.

"Who said I didn't feel the same?" He asked, the smile in his voice clear.

The grins that spread on both men's faces was nothing short of shit-eating. They locked eyes for a moment before leaning back in and meeting in the middle.

The hunter pulled away for a second, meeting the Cas' eyes with his own.

"This won't end. I promise. I won't let it."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it. As always, please let me know what you think (The kudos and comment buttons are right there) ;)  
> My Tumblr url is imherecauseimnotallthere98


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